Cancon 2013

Well, it's Australia Day long weekend this weekend, which means almost all of the members of Hampton Games Club (except the ones employed by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development!) are heading up to Canberra for the mighty Cancon tournament!

Last year, I explained the infallible Grot system for winning tournaments. This year... I'll just wish them luck.

SP/VSF Month: Ishoo Sventy-Wun-Bee: Robida House (part two)

Welcome back hippo fans to the thrilling conclusion of the Robida House! With the pylon complete, it's now time to work on the house. Of course, I really built these simultaneously, but it would've gotten pretty confusing if I'd put it all up in one post. If you have not already read part one, you should go and do that now. This will not make much sense without it.

For this part of the project, you will need a MDF placemat, available from places like Bunnings.

Anyway, here's Grot to explain the more house-ridden half of the Robida House.

Note: The blue rings are sawed from the end of plastic hair curlers, like the pink rings around the airlock doors in ishoo forty-for.

 And there at last you have the mighty Robida House! The house part itself sits firmly on the pylon, and can rotate freely. Of course, you can glue it in place it you prefer.
Don't forget to tune in next ishoo for the airship docking mast!

SP/VSF Month: Ishoo Sventy-Wun Aye: Robida House (part one)

It's been a while since the last update, all because this one is so epic! So epic in fact, that this ishoo's been split into two parts, each dealing with half the project!

Some of you will be familiar with Albert Robida, the french futurist who did some amazing illustrations in the 1880s and 90s. One in particular has always been a favourite - his aerial rotating house. In fact, it was the desire to build something similar which fueled SP/VSF month. So here it is in it's epic glory - the pylon of the Robida house.

Take it away, Grot!

Greg the Hoodling thought I should point out that you glue the plasticard to the COASTER. Not the CD. Use super glue, and go a little at a time and you'll find it wraps on easily enough.

The trick here is to use the point of the scribing tool to apply gentle preassure on the back of the strip. Be careful not to punch all the way through the plasticard. When you flip it, there'll be a nice rivet-shaped bulge. If you don't have a scribing tool, a pin or nail should work fine. Sorry, the photo's crud and I didn't realise until upload time...

Yes, it's really called a plastic canvas. They come in all sorts of sizes and shapes, and are used for embroidery as far as I know. You can get them at craft shops.

 And there you are! The pylon of the Robida Hose is complete! We'll be back very soon with the actual house which sits on top of the pylon.